STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION PLAN
During the spring 2022 semester, I completed MC 7043 Strategic Communication Campaigns. The focus of the class was a deeper understanding and implementation of strategic communication practices, culminating in the creation and presentation of a plan for a non-profit client. Working in collaboration with classmate Quenton Buckhalter, we chose the New Orleans Film Society and its annual film festival as the client for our strategic communication plan.
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The New Orleans Film Society hosts an Oscar-qualifying film festival each fall but lacks widespread recognition beyond the Greater New Orleans and Gulf South regions. "Spotlighting the South, Celebrating the Culture" aims to put the New Orleans Film Festival on the map with celebrity panels, student outreach, and increased social media communication efforts. Our in-depth strategic plan for the organization included primary research through an audience survey and in-depth interviews with the then-NOFS Director of Marketing and Communication Zaferhan Yumru. Following a full situational analysis, the following problem statement was determined:
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The New Orleans Film Society and its signature film festival's reputation lack awareness and engagement with audiences of color as well as reach and acceptance in the filmmaking industry beyond the southern United States.
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After identifying primary and secondary publics, we designed a campaign that built awareness and acceptance for the New Orleans Film Society and its annual film festival as a Southern leader in the film industry with a focus on increasing engagement with audiences of color. "Spotlighting the South, Celebrating the Culture" highlights the goals of recognition and diversity through earned media, community outreach, and celebrity engagement while recognizing the values of deep audience engagement, passion, and equity that the New Orleans Film Society emphasizes (New Orleans Film Society, n.d.).
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Dr. Jinx Broussard—award-winning professor, scholar, and the Bart R. Swanson Endowed Memorial Professor of LSU's Manship School of Mass Communication—commended the extensity of our research efforts and stated that it was "one of the most impressive campaign plans [she had] ever reviewed!" Quenton and I presented the campaign to Mr. Yumru and the new Executive Director, Sarah Escalante, in July of 2022. Both parties were appreciative and accepting of our detailed plans and were excited to have the opportunity to implement them for the 2022 New Orleans Film Festival.
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I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with Quenton on this campaign and am proud that our efforts were recognized by both our professor and the client. The full campaign book, including research and deliverables, is viewable below.
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